Workplace Wisdom...
Discover Fulfillment in Life and Work
with Michelle Y. Drake

I admit it: I'm one of those people who watches the Super Bowl every year...for the commercials. As a marketing consultant, I'm curious to see what companies do with their multi-million dollar ad space in between touchdowns and time outs. As usual, this year presented a mixed bag of the good, the bad, and the downright boring.

But they did call to mind one of my all-time favorite commercials: an ad for A&W Root Beer's "It's good to be thick-headed" campaign featuring an enthusiastic young man trying desperately to impress an interviewer - with cringe-worthy and laugh-out-loud results.

From the commercial:

Young guy: "Mr. Dum-ass? I can bring a lot to Dum-ass & Dum-ass. I'm a go-getter. Dum-ass material all the way. So: am I your man, Mr. Dum-ass?"
Interviewer: "The name is 'Du-Mas.'"

Ugh. I don't know whether to laugh or cry...or just thank goodness that's not me.

But I think we've all been there at some point. We've all sat in an interview, palms sweating, pulse racing, a cloud of desperation swirling around us, wondering if our voice sounds as fast and high-pitched to the interviewer as it does in our head. Then the interview is over and with it comes a brief sense of relief followed closely behind by an unforgiving, self-doubting, groan-inducing post mortem of everything we said (and wish we didn't) and didn't say (and wish we did).

So what can we do to make sure our interview goes smoothly?

Labels: career-advancement